Cocoa Bombs (and an anniversary)!
It’s publication Day!
Get a cozy fire going and invite the neighbors. It's time to celebrate the holidays! However, you might want to forgo the Cocoa Bomb this year.
Read the short story Cocoa Bomb at Spillwords Press. Share it with your friends, and I'll put in a good word with Santy. (If you don't, expect my dear friend Krampus.)
https://spillwords.com/cocoa-bomb/
Matty swirled his cocoa with his finger, the marshmallows spinning and bobbing like the hippos from Fantasia. The smell of chocolate and peppermint induced a biting nostalgia that left him wanting more—it left him wanting to throw his dainty white mug with the reindeer on it against the wall.
In other news
December marks the anniversary of my commitment to writing every day. Every morning, rain or shine, 7am. Well, maybe not 7am on the dot, but just because I’m committed doesn’t mean I need to be punctual, does it? Here are a few things that I’ve learned:
Be open to genre - I never would have imagined aligning with the horror genre, but I’m having a blast. Writing outside your preferred or typical genre is a worthwhile exploration. In fact - try doing a genre mashup ie, western/horror, alt fiction/fantasy, regency/thriller, etc. A ton o’ fun!
Write daily - Medium sent me a recommended post the other day, and it irked me. Someone wrote that it was dumb to write every day, because then it felt like work. That you would burn out. This feels like terrible advice, at least for a fiction writer. If you’re feeling burnt out by writing, you’re probably just not writing for the right reasons. Embrace the process over the product. Writing is fun, right? You get to tell lies!
Publishing is tough - Even if you are good enough to get published, the time it takes to actually get a yay or nay is insane. This isn’t a complaint, more of an observation and a warning to other new writers. Your skill level and voice might change by the time someone accepts or declines your work. Maybe that’s a good thing?
In case you missed it
These Sharp Talons
Hello all - here is a fun little horror story (with some jokey jokes) for all you glampers out there. If you enjoy it, please consider sharing, commenting, liking, etc. I think yurt going to dig it! *insert Crypt-keeper cackle. There’s never a good way to admit you’ve never been camping. It kind of makes you sound like a prima donna, someone who can’t st…
Down but not yet dead
Original art by Micheal Mersereau https://www.michaelmersereau.net/ It’s the classic whodunit: Someone on the bus? On the street? From their home, having seen me through dusty curtains? From the gas station that I passed? Near the value grocery store While I bounced in the sunlight While I listened to music While I felt down, but not yet out Wh…
Starbelly
She came to life—a baby unicorn wearing felt cat ears—destroyer of worlds and builder of galaxies; I feel fragile when I’m near her; my fears dominate me; if she should ever come to harm… I self-immolate. And there, in the fire of my anxiety, I spot the cool water of hope: energy is eternal, and we will all live forever.